Gish A31 - Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana Natural Gas Beginnings
The first recorded use of natural gas in the area dates back to the late 1800s, when the Shreveport Ice Plant well utilized gas for illumination. In 1910, Standard Oil of Louisiana completed the region's earliest oil pipeline, linking the oilfield to its Baton Rouge refinery. Exploration quickly expanded, and by the same year, nearly 25,000 people were employed in and around Oil City, which became the first "wildcat town" in the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas region.
Why Gish A31 was Chosen
Located in the Caddo-Pine Island Field in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, the Gish A- 31 well (LA-224093, APN 170-17-3301) produces from the Caddo Pine Island oil field, which was one of Louisiana's first major oil and gas discoveries in 1906. Drilled in 2000, to a depth of approximately 785 feet, the well is situated in the Five Bayous critical wildlife habitat, which is nourished by Caddo Lake, a Ramsar internationally protected wetlands area. Spudded on June 3, 2000, drilling into the Nacatoch formation began on June 28, 2000. The well operated from August 2000, until September 2019, when its operator went out of business, leaving it orphaned and the responsibility of the State of Louisiana.
How VitalEco made a Difference
The Approval to Plug (reference Number 385-22-1) required the wellbore to be filled from a depth of 758 feet to the surface, with at least 50 feet of cement placed into the annulus, cutting five feet below ground, and then sealing it to the surface. A local plugging company carried out the work on June 17, 2022. On September 18, 2023, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation issued the Lease Facility Inspection Report, confirming compliance. The report noted that the well was successfully plugged, no discharge of exploration and production (E&P) waste was detected, no fire hazards were observed, and the site was fully restored.
CarbonPath Registry and Methodology
- Two hours of continuous monitoring events prior to well plugging by a Qualified Measurement Specialist
- Industry-leading flowmeters
- Lab-verified methane concentration
Benefits & Accomplishments
Eliminated 60,635 CO2 Tonnes and 5 United Nation Envision 2030 Goals Achieved
- Improved water quality
- Air quality improvement
- Environmental restoration
- Local jobs creation
- Community outreach
- Environmental justice
United Nations Envision 2030 Goals
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Met by improving water quality, reducing pollution and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials into groundwater. Plugging of the orphan well supports improvement in ir and water quality.
Goal 9 : Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Met via the use of flow metering processes which can be used to retrofit industries, making them sustainable, improving resource utilization, and expanding the adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. The technology can be used in developing countries and with mobile capabilities, can be monitored globally using cloud technologies.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Met by preserving Caddo Lake wetlands, the 13th of 41 Ramsar sites in the U.S., this orphan well that emitted methane in a wetland of international significance protected under the Ramsar Convention Treaty.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Met through the project providing sound management of orphaned oil and gas well and methane emissions in accordance with agreed international frameworks, permanently reducing their release to air, water-minimizing their adverse impacts on human health and the environment through prevention of future emissions.
Goal 13: Climate Action
Met via the innovative measurement technologies being used in the project were invented to anticipate and meet climate goals -continuing to be refined and its use expanded across many locations.